US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the Pentagon plans to publicly livestream the December 3, 2026 firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. There has been bipartisan backlash to the idea, with lawmakers in both houses in Washington speaking out against the plan. It shouldn’t be necessary to argue that the focus of capital punishment is on seeking justice for the victims and their families, and this can’t happen when an execution is turned into entertainment.
The General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have opposed the death penalty since 1959. Click here to read the statement by the Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), on the planned livestreaming of the execution. Please pray for the hearts of our nation’s leaders to turn toward God and to turn from idolizing violence and war to acts of compassion and peace. Lord, hear our prayer. 

UPDATE: P.S. As of Thursday, October 15, 2026, it was announced that the execution will not be livestreamed. Let’s keep praying that compassion will prevail.

Rev. Dr. Sarah Nave
Parkview Presbyterian Church
October 14, 2026